Ex-Rivers Commissioner On Wheels… Needs N18m For Treatment Abroad

His Royal Majesty King J.T.T. Alamene Bobai, Bassan 11 and Ibenanawei of Bassan Clan of Southern Ijaw local government Area of Bayelsa State, is one of the founding fathers of the old Rivers State.
He was a pioneer cabinet member of the then Alfred Diete Spiff administration, as the first military administrator of Rivers State.
Shortly after its creation by the Gowon regime, he was made the Commissioner for Corporations Administration, a ministry created to oversea all the Parastatals in the newly created state.
He was also the chairman of Tenders Board A, which awarded major contracts during Spiff’s administration, which heralded landmark infrastructural development and edifices.
The administrator who did a lot to the service of his state and later retired to inherit the stool of his forefathers as a Traditional ruler is presently confined to the wheel chair.
He had been in his present predicament for 11 years after suffering from chronic diabetics which had impaired his physical disposition.
With his intuitive facilities still intact, he wallows in isolation all day, safe for the company of well-wishers, acquaintances and family members who rally around him to give him desired attention and ease his solitude and boredom.
When the weekend Tide recently visited him in his private residence in Borikiri, he was in solitude, spending his sacred moments, listen to news and abreasting himself of current information. As a former administrator and participant in the polity that unfolded modern Rivers State, he takes prime time updating himself of revolutionary trends and takes solace in the selfless service which he offered in the prime of his youth.
Recalling the development strides of the then Spiff administration in terms of development of the state, the monarch said the creation of Rivers State was a dream come true after several decades of neglect of the then Rivers province under Eastern Nigeria.
He said Spiff as a young administrator took cognizance of the circumstances and appointed committed patriots who contributed to the creation of Rivers State, which included the legendry Harold Dappa Biriye of blessed memory as members of his cabinet.
As a team saddled with the enormous responsibilities of running a brand new state, comprising of people that have suffered untold neglect, he said, Spiff took his time to identify priority development attention of the people which were multifaceted.
“When Spiff was appointed the governor of Rivers State in 1967, it was not easy just to start things at the same time. Spiff was a very good administrator, he took time to do a survey of what and what to be done as a new state. There was no secretariat, no Government House, no water absolutely nothing, it was eastern Nigeria and we were highly neglected in the scheme of things. He developed a blue-print work for development.
After identifying priority areas, he said, the government started advertising for tenders which culminated in the award of major contracts on his scrutiny as the chairman of Tender Board A.
According to him, contracts were awarded strictly on merits and competence even without sighting the contractors and virtually no contractor was owed. “The money was there we didn’t owe contractors. The money was carefully used to the service of the people, the governor operated an open-policy which gave room for imputes of his Cabinet members. Spiff was not secretive in any way, when the federal allocation comes, he calls his commissioner for works, Finance and the Accountant-General and they seat down and outline how to disburse finances for outstanding projects and recurrent expenditure, we were not given overheads, we were not thinking of keeping much for ourselves”.
Asked why he did not consider accumulating wealth for his retirement, the Monarch said they have a central objective of bridging the gap of development in Rivers State to attain the status of a modern state in manpower and infrastructural development.
This overriding need for development shelved his penchant for profligacy and graft and when the Muritala Mohammed coup struck and apprehended corrupt government officials, his name was not listed despite his involvement in the award of huge contracts.
“When Muritala Mohammed struck and they started announcing the names of those who have tampered with government funds, I was free. I got loan from Nigeria Agricultural bank to sponsor a fishing company. I was the first Rivers indigene to get that Bank loan. I secured a loan of N1.62,000 I later paid back the loan.
Some of the projects embarked upon during his chairmanship of Tender Board include, the Podium Block which was completed as the cost of N750,000 each, Point block N1.1m, waterlines Houses, The Tide building and shopping complex at mile III. it was also during his tenure as Commissioner of cooperations administration that the rivers State Government bought over the Nigerian Engineering works.
HRM King Bobai was also the Chairman Delta Hotels which comprises of Hotel Presidential, Hotel Olympia, International Airport Hotels Omagwa, and the Delta catering Services.
He was also member of Rivers Electoral Commission in the Okilo administration under the chairmanship of, Justice Inko Tariah.
As a commissioner, HRM Alamene Bobai said he earned N300 as salary but it was later increase to N3,000 after the Udoji commission.
The traditional ruler and former administrator who is now presently hemmed in pains and physical incapacitation akin his story to that of the biblical paralytic who stood besides the pool of baithsada for 48 years.
“I have no helper, for eleven years I have been on this wheels because there is no one to help me. I have written to the government of Bayelsa and Rivers State, but I am yet to get any reply. My condition has reached a stage where I should go to India for medical treatment. My senior wife is also critically ill. I need about N18m to foot our medical bills. I know Amaechi will help me, but I don’t know whether my letter got to him. He was my former neighbour at Okarki street behind my house and I believe he knows me too well”.

Taneh Beemene